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13th Australian Infantry Training Battalion

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Brief History

This unit formed at Melville camp in August 1941 to train new recruits for the 13th Australian Infantry Brigade. In December 1941 they were at the Northam Camp where they absorbed the 4th AIF Training Battalion. By March 1942 they had trained many of the troops sent to Rottnest island, Fremantle and Swanbourne. They also supported militia units with 'A" Company providing troops for the 11th and 16th Infantry Battalions; 'B' Company for the 28th and 44th Infantry Battalions; 'C' Company the 5th and 10th Garrison Battalions; and 'D' Company the 19th and 29th Garrison Battalions.


This changed in November 1942 when the 36th Infantry Training Battalion was formed to train recruits for the Garrison battalions; the 35th Infantry Training Battalion became responsible for recruits less than 19 years old; and the 13th Infantry Training Battalion for the older recruits. As troop numbers in Western Australia fell, the need for all of these units did as well, and in February 1944 the unit's status was changed to 'Company' and in June they moved to Harvey where they were absorbed by another unit to become the Australian recruit Training Company (Western Command.

Staff members

Trainees

1941

1942

1943

1944

Notes

Content has come from The Unit Guide - Volume 6 - The Australian Army 1939-1945, page 6.241 & 6.242 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018


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